Food Stuck in Throat and Esophagus (Chest, Food Pipe)

Food, once swallowed, is quickly transported down the throat, into the esophagus and pushed into the stomach. Most of the time a person is unable to experience the movement of food from the pharynx. These visceral sensations are purposely dulled as is the case with movement through most of the gut. Sometimes there is the feeling of food being stuck in the throat (head and neck region) or lower down in the esophagus (chest region). It can be nothing more than a sensation despite the food having passed down in to the stomach as normal – sometimes imagined while at other times it is due to irritation in the throat or esophagus. However, there are instances where food is trapped either partially or completely due to a problem with swallowing or the normal passage of food.

Normal Movement in Throat and Esophagus

Food is first broken down by the process of chewing (mastication), then rolled into a ball and pushed into the back of the throat. The swallowing process (deglutition) ensures that this ball of food is propelled from the throat, down the esophagus and into the stomach. Swallowing is therefore divided into three phases :

Oral (mouth) swallowing

Pharyngeal (throat) swallowing

Esophageal (food pipe) swallowing

The first stage, the oral stage, is under voluntarily control while the latter two are involuntarily. Once food is voluntarily swallowed, the process whereby the muscles contract and relax to form waves continues in the throat and then esophagus. This peristaltic wave ensures that food is rapidly passed down the esophagus.

Reasons for Food Stuck Sensation

There are three possible reasons for the sensation of food being stuck in the throat or esophagus.

The sensation is imagined or the throat or esophagus is irritated by the food despite it having passed through unobstructed.

The food or remnants of food are stuck in the throat or esophagus either by getting trapped in crevices or pouches or by tumors and narrowing in the gut.

The swallowing process is dysfunctional for some reason therefore the movement of food may be interrupted at some point.

Other Symptoms

The sensation of food trapped within the throat or esophagus is a symptom of some underlying problem. It is may be accompanied by one or more of the following symptoms although it is often a symptom on its own :

Painful swallowing (odynophagia)

Regurgitation (not vomiting)

Heartburn

Nausea

Increased thirst

Loss of appetite

Causes

Irritation and Inflammation

There are several different conditions of the the throat and esophagus which is marked by inflammation that is worsened or accentuated with the chewing and the movement of food. This can be interpreted as food being stuck in the throat when it is not. Some of the common causes includes :

Pharyngitis (throat inflammation, sore throat) is most often due to an infections, particularly with bacteria or viruses. The swelling of the throat and constant irritation or pain is worsened when swallowing particularly hard or hot foods.

Tonsillitis is associated with pharyngitis most of the time. Here as well the sensation of the throat being sore is worsened with swallowing food. In addition, small particles of food may be trapped within the crevasses of the tonsils. In chronic tonsillitis, ulceration may allow small particles of food to be trapped within holes in the tonsils. When coughed up, it looks like small specks of rice.

Esophagitis is the inflammation of the esophagus. A common cause of esophagitis are due to reflux of the acidic stomach contents. Persistent esophagitis can lead to the formation of growths, ulcers and even strictures (narrowing).

Structural Problems

Any structural defect in the throat and esophagus may impede the normal movement of food during swallowing. Sometimes this is only a partial obstruction. Certain defects may also allow food to be trapped within it.

Tumors are abnormalities in tissue growth which can be benign or malignant (cancerous). Throat cancer and esophageal cancer are often asymptomatic at the outset but eventually present with symptoms like pain, bleeding and loss of weight. Benign tumors often grow slowly in size causing the obstruction to worsen over time.

Narrowing is most prominent in the esophagus. This is known as esophageal strictures. It can arise with many of the conditions already discussed including esophagitis and cancer. Esophageal webs and rings are an extension of normal tissue of the esophagus thereby causing a localized narrowing of the esophagus.

Pouches in the throat and esophagus, also known as diverticula, are protrusions in the wall where food may accumulate. However, it is largely asymptomatic and more likely to cause a problem with swallowing as discussed below. The most common type of pouch is a Zenker diverticulum.

Tonsil stones are calcified masses that grow within the tonsillar crypts or crevasses. These stones are often small and do not cause any significant symptoms on its own. It is usually when the surrounding tonsillar tissue is inflamed that the symptoms become more evident.

Defective Swallowing

Swallowing is a carefully coordinate process involving the muscles in the wall of the throat and esophagus as well as the nerves supplying it. Any swallowing problem where there is no obstruction, growth or narrowing will affect either the muscles, the nerves or both structures. The medical term for difficulty swallowing is dysphagia.

When the difficulty swallowing is due to a problem in the mouth and throat then it is known as oropharyngeal dysphagia.

Treatment

There is no specific treatment for the sensation of food stuck in the throat or esophagus. It is important to have it assessed by a medical professionals as soon as possible to identify the exact cause. Treatment will then be directed at the causative condition thereby allaying the symptom over time. Some measures that may prove helpful although medical attention is still necessary includes :

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The pharyngeal phase of the swallow is not involuntary and is not controlled by peristalsis. The function of these muscles can be improved with pharyngeal exercises and techniques taught to the patient by a certified and licensed speech language pathologist in order to reduce the risk of aspiration into the lungs.

Hi Elle. Yes, it is not entirely involuntary. We have included this extract for your reference from Guyton’s Textbook of Medical Physiology, 11e, p783 ( the 11th edition is all that we had access to at this time): “In summary, the pharyngeal stage of swallowing is principally a reflex act. It is almost always initiated by voluntary movement of food into the back of the mouth, which in turn excites involuntary pharyngeal sensory receptors to elicit the swallowing reflex.”

However, it is important to understand that we have to explain this information to readers who may not always understand the medical terms and concepts as is. If we pick on these finer points of physiology it can be confusing. Our website is geared towards the average reader who does not have a medical or health science background.

As for it not being part of peristalsis I think it is important to understand that the peristaltic waves that are initiated during swallowing continue to propel the bolus all the way into the stomach. Intestinal peristalsis may be seen further down but this does not mean that the movement initiated by swallowing is not part of peristalsis.

Yes you are correct that certain exercises and techniques can help certain patients like in stroke rehabilitation but this does not change the physiology. However, we may stand to be corrected. Thank you for your input.

Sandman Illinois

Please include a link to a discussion of what to DO in the case of food inhaled (accidentally) into the windpipe. This article appears to have the correct title for that issue as well, but does not discuss. We have a problem right now with someone who coughed involuntarily while eating, and inhaled what is most likely a small partially chewed piece of corn. Now, after 2 days, still lodged somewhere in chest, causing wheezing and mucous as well as ongoing coughing.